NEWS BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Despite continuing to lead his unknown presumptive Republican challenger Bob Hugin by double-digit margins in head-to-head public polling, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) remains unpopular with his constituents according to the results of a new Rutgers Eagleton poll.
Menendez, who escaped jail time thanks only to a mistrial shortly before receiving a formal bipartisan admonition for unethical behavior — remains upside down — with 37% disapproving and 33% approving — while a significant percentage of those polled haven’t formed an opinion.
Only 22% feel favorably towards New Jersey’s senior senator; 35% report a negative impression.
“Menendez’s ratings have never reached the height of Booker’s, and a large number continue to be almost as ambivalent toward the senior senator as when he first took office in 2006,” explained Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. “Time will tell how these lackluster ratings play out for Menendez in his reelection year, where he may face a well-financed challenger in pharmaceutical executive Bob Hugin.”
The full polling report can be viewed HERE.
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